World Chess Champion Vishwanathan Anand of India successfully defended his title in Moscow last month. His challenger, Boris Gelfand of Israel, had won his way through a gruelling qualifying series to face Anand in a twelve game match, representing the pinnacle of his career to date.
Although Anand was the favourite at the outset, the match was extremely close. Gelfand was well prepared and held his own in the first half, the first six games ending in draws. The challenger finally broke the deadlock by winning the seventh game. In such a short and even match, this looked to be critical for the champion. However, after what he later admitted was a sleepless night, Anand levelled the score in the very next game. The draws then resumed, resulting in a 6-6 tie after the twelve standard games. The championship was decided on the result a tie-break of four rapid games, won by Anand 2½-1½, with three draws and just one win. Gelfand had his share of winning chances, but was undone by time pressure.
Today's game is the critical eigth game of the match, in which Gelfand, playing Black, uncharacteristically sought early complications. Possibly he was trying to press his advantage, but Anand proved equal to the challenge.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 ---
A way of side-stepping the regular Grunfeld, which Gelfand had employed in the first game. 3.--- c5!?
Anand had come close to a winning advantage against 3... d5 in the third game, so Black switches to a more aggressive Benoni structure, where White has committed to an early f3. 4.d5 d6 5.e4 Bg7 6.Ne2 O-O 7.Nec3!? ---
White's idea in this line is to develop his kingside pieces as a priority, which are hampered by the pawn on f3. The other knight can make its way into the game later via b1-a3-c2, or if Black plays like a Modern Benoni: 7...e6 and 8...exd5, then after 9 cxd5 the knight can go to c4. 7.--- Nh5!?
White's plan has consumed time with extra knight and pawn moves, so Black seeks to provoke the advance g2-g4 when his his better development gives chances to exploit the weakened dark squares. Alert to this possibility, Anand covers the d8-h4 diagonal. 8.Bg5! Bf6!?
Another aggressive move, exchanging the defended of the dark squares or forcing it off the diagonal. A more sedate approach was 8...h6. 9.Bxf6!? ---
Principled, but White will no longer have time to castle. Also good was 9 Be3. 9.--- exf6
Opening the e-file and preparing to assault the e-pawn by f6-f5. 10.Qd2 ---
The immediate 10 g4!? is also good as 10...Nf4?! 11 Qd2 forces 11...g5 blocking access to White's weak squares on the kingside. With the text, White makes room on d1 for his king to evade checks. 10.--- f5 11.exf5 Bxf5
After 11....Qh4+ 12 Kd1 Bf5 13 g4 Bxb1 14 Rxb1 Ng7 with the idea of ...f7-f5 Black has reasonable chances in a complex position. Black thinks he has better. 12.g4 Re8+ 13.Kd1 Bxb1 14.Rxb1 Qf6?
A blunder, though the tactical refutation is far from obvious. However, now 14...Nf6 leaves White better after 15 Kc2, as his king is relatively safe and his pawns control all the key entry squares for Black's knights. 15.gxh5!! ---
Gelfand and the live grandmaster commentators had not seriously considered this move as it appears to lose the exchange. They thought that White's best was 15 Kc2 Nf4 16 Ne4 when 16...Rxe4! 17 fxe4 Nd7 gives Black strong compensation in his control of the central dark squares. 15.--- Qxf3+ 16.Kc2 Qxh1
At this point the commentators were considering the choice of 17 Qf4 or 17 Bd3 for White, struggling for sufficient compensation. However Anand carefully rechecked his calculations before playing.... 17.Qf2!
... and getting up from the board visibly relieved. Suddenly it became obvious to everyone that Black had fallen into a devilish trap. Gelfand hunched over for ten more minutes in this position – and then resigned! The point is that the black queen will be trapped on h1 unless Black sacrifices his knight with 17...Nc6 18 dxc6 Qxc6, when 19 Bg2 Qd7 20 Nd5 will gain a further exchange on f6. Enough to resign at this level.
Anand retains World Championship
Problem: White to play and mate in 5.
World Chess Champion Vishwanathan Anand of India successfully defended his title in Moscow last month. His challenger, Boris Gelfand of Israel, had won his way through a gruelling qualifying series to face Anand in a twelve game match, representing the pinnacle of his career to date.
Although Anand was the favourite at the outset, the match was extremely close. Gelfand was well prepared and held his own in the first half, the first six games ending in draws. The challenger finally broke the deadlock by winning the seventh game. In such a short and even match, this looked to be critical for the champion. However, after what he later admitted was a sleepless night, Anand levelled the score in the very next game. The draws then resumed, resulting in a 6-6 tie after the twelve standard games. The championship was decided on the result a tie-break of four rapid games, won by Anand 2½-1½, with three draws and just one win. Gelfand had his share of winning chances, but was undone by time pressure.
Today's game is the critical eigth game of the match, in which Gelfand, playing Black, uncharacteristically sought early complications. Possibly he was trying to press his advantage, but Anand proved equal to the challenge.
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 g6
3.f3 ---
A way of side-stepping the regular Grunfeld, which Gelfand had employed in the first game.
3.--- c5!?
Anand had come close to a winning advantage against 3... d5 in the third game, so Black switches to a more aggressive Benoni structure, where White has committed to an early f3.
4.d5 d6
5.e4 Bg7
6.Ne2 O-O
7.Nec3!? ---
White's idea in this line is to develop his kingside pieces as a priority, which are hampered by the pawn on f3. The other knight can make its way into the game later via b1-a3-c2, or if Black plays like a Modern Benoni: 7...e6 and 8...exd5, then after 9 cxd5 the knight can go to c4.
7.--- Nh5!?
White's plan has consumed time with extra knight and pawn moves, so Black seeks to provoke the advance g2-g4 when his his better development gives chances to exploit the weakened dark squares. Alert to this possibility, Anand covers the d8-h4 diagonal.
8.Bg5! Bf6!?
Another aggressive move, exchanging the defended of the dark squares or forcing it off the diagonal. A more sedate approach was 8...h6.
9.Bxf6!? ---
Principled, but White will no longer have time to castle. Also good was 9 Be3.
9.--- exf6
Opening the e-file and preparing to assault the e-pawn by f6-f5.
10.Qd2 ---
The immediate 10 g4!? is also good as 10...Nf4?! 11 Qd2 forces 11...g5 blocking access to White's weak squares on the kingside. With the text, White makes room on d1 for his king to evade checks.
10.--- f5
11.exf5 Bxf5
After 11....Qh4+ 12 Kd1 Bf5 13 g4 Bxb1 14 Rxb1 Ng7 with the idea of ...f7-f5 Black has reasonable chances in a complex position. Black thinks he has better.
12.g4 Re8+
13.Kd1 Bxb1
14.Rxb1 Qf6?
A blunder, though the tactical refutation is far from obvious. However, now 14...Nf6 leaves White better after 15 Kc2, as his king is relatively safe and his pawns control all the key entry squares for Black's knights.
15.gxh5!! ---
Gelfand and the live grandmaster commentators had not seriously considered this move as it appears to lose the exchange. They thought that White's best was 15 Kc2 Nf4 16 Ne4 when 16...Rxe4! 17 fxe4 Nd7 gives Black strong compensation in his control of the central dark squares.
15.--- Qxf3+
16.Kc2 Qxh1
At this point the commentators were considering the choice of 17 Qf4 or 17 Bd3 for White, struggling for sufficient compensation. However Anand carefully rechecked his calculations before playing....
17.Qf2!
... and getting up from the board visibly relieved. Suddenly it became obvious to everyone that Black had fallen into a devilish trap. Gelfand hunched over for ten more minutes in this position – and then resigned! The point is that the black queen will be trapped on h1 unless Black sacrifices his knight with 17...Nc6 18 dxc6 Qxc6, when 19 Bg2 Qd7 20 Nd5 will gain a further exchange on f6. Enough to resign at this level.
1-0
Solution: 1 Rxf7+! Nxf7 (1... Kg8 2 Qxg7#) 2 Rh7! Qg4 (2... e6 3 Qxg7+ Ke7 4 Qxf7#) 3 Ne6+ Kg8 (3... Qxe6 4 Qxg7#) 4 Rxg7+ Kh8 5 Qh7#.